New (Sustainable) Amsterdam

“What was lost without will be found within” This line, written by H.P. Holst in the 1811, is the best inspiration to keep in mind after the Brexit and futur similar threats. It glued Danish society after centuries of defeats that had cost the country one third part of its territories and a similar proportion of its population. Ever since it got aware of its inner potential and strength, this fascinating country has achieved more than any other. By simply comparing its size and natural resources to other world countries it is hard to comprehend where its success comes from. It’s not the big oil reserves or waste fertile lands. The greatest resource it has are its people, united under a shared belief in building a better, more just and more equal society. Here lies the WHY for Danmark being considered the “happiest” country on Earth, ever since the happines and welfare raitings begun to be conducted.

The reason I start this post with the happy Danes is to emphasize the best news Europe had since many years ago; Holland has rejected populism. A part from the obvious thrill of not seeing another “Twitter Messiah” getting elected to run the country, for me there are two fundamental positive readings of these results:

Over 80% turnout / Highest in 30 years

The Green-Left party raise 10 seats

These two results combined together are fundamental for building a better, more just and more equal Europe.

Dutch have sent a clear message: The retrograde rhetoric of midevil tribal mentality does not enjoy waste support. On the other hand, they have given as a clue where the next logical step leads: if we are to overcome the state-nation model and build a new global paradigm we need to place climate change and environmental challenges at the top of all our agendas.

It is the only way to overcome narrow-minded outbursts of nostalgic hope of rebuilding colonial empires.

And what does it have to do with Amsterdam? A lot.

It was in Holland where the cements of the European Union where first built. It is where the Amsterdam Treaty was signed, but the act was just a symbolic recognition to the merits the Dutch people had in expanding human liberties throughout modern history.

But there is another even far greater symbolic value here. It was in Holland where the belief in the infinite growth based on the exploitation of finite resources began. The Dutch West India Company was the first to demonstrate that the incredible power of the line of credit. Understanding the credit as a difference between the value of today and the hope of what it might be worth tomorrow, by mortgaging the hope in the better future human got access to financing the growth of their business ventures.

From Amsterdam the road led us to Wall Street… the rest of the story you already know.

It is beyond any doubt that the increased trust, as a basis for financial credit, has allowed us the innovation needed to prosper at the paste unseen before in all human history. Unfortunately, this innovation was mainly aimed at one sole direction: to maintain the illusion of the infinite growth.

There can’t be infinite growth based on finite resources. Simple as that.

Sooner the message gets to more of us, the better for all of us.

It is why it feels so good to see the New Amsterdam arise. The one where the trust in being responsible of something far greater than the state-nation inheritance will make us see that there is no issue greater and more important than saving Our Planet. It is the only path we have left towards building a better, more just and more equal global society through sustainable, responsible and empathic relations.

It is time to turn the page and understand “What was lost without will be found within”.

It’s time to get of the Amsterdam-Wall Street Road. It’s time for New Amsterdam. Afrter all, “Even Old New York was once New Amsterdam”.